Candidate Clinic Underway In Turkey

Richard Stokes from the FIBA Europe Referee and Competition Departments delivering a lecture

The second stage of the 2010-11 Candidate Clinic for FIBA Referees in Europe got underway on Saturday in Gaziantep, Turkey.

Organized in close co-operation with the Turkish Basketball Federation and the well known Turk Telekom Tournament for U16 National Teams, 35 referees will be put through their paces over a period of eight days.

U16 teams from around the world including China, Puerto Rico and Iran as well as European representatives from Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Germany, Romania, Russia, Slovenia Turkey and Ukraine have gathered in Gaziantep as a tune-up for this summer's continental championships.

Meanwhile the officials will be trying to gain their international license through officiating these games, in addition to undergoing the normal series of examinations and physical tests.

FIBA Europe Referee Co-ordinator Miguel Betancor said: "This is a great tournament in which we can see the quality of the referees. In the end it's an examination of course, but we have a chance here to be close to the referees, to work with them and to finally see their quality and of course their future potential. The level of games helps us to see them tested to the full in all aspects of their officiating."

Richard Stokes from the FIBA Europe Referee and Competition Departments added: "This allows us to see where the referees may begin their international career. With the various programs that we run, especially the Potential Referee group, those that are successful here will have 3-4 seasons of intensive support from us.

"We have a high level of officiating here in Europe, and the challenge is for this group to meet and exceed the achievements of the current group of referees over the next 10-15 years. The opportunity that the Turkish Federation afforded us is very valuable," Richard Stokes concluded.

Alan Richardson, along with Betancor and Stokes, are the three staff members who will be leading the daily meetings and seminars and work with the referees each day.

Richardson commented: "The inclusion of South American and teams from Asia also gives the referees different challenges from teams whose style they have not seen before. Our referees must know basketball inside Europe, but also outside. The game knowledge that referees must possess is a key factor in officiating at a high level."

Jose Rodriguez one of FIBA Europe's Referee Department technicians is also working with the referees utilising the latest technology from the Observer Programme to evaluate and give feedback to the participants during the clinic. The instructors have immediate access to play situations from the games in order to effectively review the performance of the candidates.

The Clinic finishes on Saturday. The complete list of the candidates that participate is: